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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27115511">And the Stories I Write Say We’re Doing Alright</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/pseuds/Jen425'>Jen425</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Kamen Rider Saber, Tokusatsu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Childhood Friends, Complicated Relationship(s), hurts/comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:29:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>714</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27115511</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/pseuds/Jen425</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kento and Touma have an awkward conversation, and they figure out what the new normal will be.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fukamiya Kento &amp; Kamiyama Touma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Trick or Treat Exchange 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>And the Stories I Write Say We’re Doing Alright</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Blitz/gifts">Moon_Blitz</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Takes place exactly where you think it does.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Touma wishes he could say what exactly possessed him to invite Kento back after that almost painfully awkward conversation with him about… memories.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If it were one of his characters, of course, he’d know. Zier had a habit of looking before he leaped and trusting friends absolutely. That had made it fun to finally write Alekz’s betrayal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he isn’t a character, and he certainly isn’t the lead of his own story (that would be a cheep method of character creation, after all).</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Zier never re-met his dear childhood friend who revealed to him missing chapters of his own life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You live at your book store,” Kento says like this fact doesn’t surprise him at all. Touma shrugs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Saves money on rent,” he says. “Starving artists, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kento laughs, and it’s a genuine sound that Touma can’t help but smile at.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I end up forgetting the time and falling asleep at my desk, though,” he admits. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would be like you,” Kento says. “I remember one time when we were kids, and L—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He cuts himself off. Ah yes. That. That unfortunate truth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those unfortunate memories and lack thereof.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I remember one time you came over and we snuck up so late. You helped write down what I said as I told you a story,” Touma offers. “It was the first time I’d ever put one to paper.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kento blinks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You remember that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not like I have total amnesia,” Touma points out. “I just…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He feels like he’s missing a piece of even that little anecdote, but he doesn’t say as much.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I can draw pictures!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That’s a great idea, Luna!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Guess it’s time to begin the story of the brave knight and the red balloon!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>He shakes the thought away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyways, it was a year after I stopped seeing you that I started writing for real,” he says.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kento looks away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve read your series,” he says. “And your shorts. And the three standalones. You’re a fast writer, and a good one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Touma says. “I mean… you read them all?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never forgot you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Touma takes a moment to analyze that sentence, that tone. There’s no anger there, no bitterness. He’s just… sad.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It hurts Touma to think about, whatever weight Kento is carrying that Touma can’t help him with, not without further hurting his oldest friend. He doesn’t mind if it might hurt him, but he’s willing to wait, for Kento’s sake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I never did, either,” he says. “That was a weird time for me, and I guess I never realized how out of focus the memories were until I saw you again, but… I’m glad you’re in my life again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kento still doesn’t face him, at that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m scared,” he says. “What if I lose you again, like…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That won’t happen,” Touma promises. “Whatever happened before. I p—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t promise this,” Kento says. “Not now. Not to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay,” Touma says. “I don’t need to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This is. So awkward. But Touma refuses to let it stay that way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Safer topic,” he says, browsing his personal bookshelf for something Kento was assured to know, as well. “Remember this one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kento finally turns, then, to catch the tossed book. He looks at it, and he smiles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think I do.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Things are successfully </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> awkward from there, thankfully. Which Touma is glad of. Serious conversations and the simple fact that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>has</span>
  </em>
  <span> forgotten something, that he doesn’t know what or when but Kento does, had made that hard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But then they’re talking and it’s not about their jobs as swordsman, the dangers or the lost things, and just… being.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It shouldn’t be so natural after all these years.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should probably get going,” Kento admits, after a while. “But I’ll come back tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looking forward to it,” Touma replies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And now the silence comes back, as Kento stands. Touma follows him to the lobby and the door. At which point Kento pauses, already half way through the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am… glad, to have found you again,” Kento says. Touma can feel the smile on his face as he replies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Kento returns the next day, Touma drags him into reading for the kids. It’s easy, and it’s light, and, for now, he thinks everything will be okay.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked this!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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